


stolen images

by hawaiiwerewolf



Category: Grand Theft Auto V
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-25
Updated: 2015-05-25
Packaged: 2018-04-01 03:38:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4004407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hawaiiwerewolf/pseuds/hawaiiwerewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Franklin found her interesting and Tracey was looking for another way to piss off her parents."</p>
<p>little snippets of Franklin and Tracey's relationship</p>
            </blockquote>





	stolen images

He’d always known of Tracey, but never personally.

That’s the thing about hanging around Michael, you always get to know about his home life. You get the pleasure of hearing all these stories about how fucked his kids are and how it’s his fault that they’re so fucked in the first place. You get to hear about how his wife is cheating on him, and how, personally, he doesn’t blame her.

He’d phrase it as a life lesson. A “Never Get Married and Settle Down, Kid” sort of story that Franklin had been hearing his entire life. Franklin had no idea how risking your life on the unforgiving streets of Los Santos could be considered better, but, whatever.

In actuality, Michael’s stories were a cry for help, a chosen opportunity to rant taken advantage of. The man needed an outlet, and Franklin was alright with the idea that he was Michael’s chosen outlet. It was nice to be reminded that someone else’s life was just as - if not more - fucked up as your own.

Ever so often, Michael would speak about his focused problems by name.

_“I used to think I did so much for Amanda, taking her out of some seedy little trailer park and moving her into a nice big mansion and giving her a life that only movie stars could afford,” They’re on their way to do their first heist together. The job at the jewel store. Michael’s rambling is enough to take Franklin’s mind off the fact that he’s nervous as shit. “Now, I realize the only thing I did for Amanda was fuck her life up.”_

The only woman Franklin ever envisioned himself getting married to was Tanisha, but even if there was a chance at that ever happening, Franklin knows he would’ve managed to fuck it up somehow.

_“I don’t really know where I went wrong with Jim,” Michael says it like they’re not currently speeding down a highway, going after a yacht with said son being held hostage on said yacht. “but I manage to blame myself for it anyway. It probably is my fault, even if I haven’t completely figured out how yet.”_

Franklin knew Michael had a daughter, just like he knew Michael had a wife and a son. Franklin remembered her from the time he’d broken into Michael’s house to get Jimmy’s car. The loud-mouthed blonde storming into her room after arguing with her brother had been a sight not easily forgotten, and Franklin could never figure out why.

_“Tracey’s a good kid, I just wasn’t there to make sure she had the right guidance,” Michael’s managed to calm down a little after sending the house his wife’s yoga instructor was using for a place to hide down a cliff. Franklin has the feeling like Michael’s probably gonna regret that. “She got herself in with the wrong crowd, y’know, I just wish she would’ve got herself into college instead.”_

Franklin could find himself relating to this easily enough. His future could’ve been brighter if he would’ve let it, and maybe if he ever got the chance to talk to Michael’s daughter, that would be something they’d have in common.

\- - - - -

If asked, Franklin probably couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment he met Tracey.

Considering all the times he frequented Michael’s house up in Rockford Hills and considering all the times Tracey had been storming through the place, upset with either Michael or Jimmy, or maybe even Amanda a few times, it was difficult to narrow down.

Franklin found her interesting and Tracey was looking for another way to piss off her parents. It was as if they skipped the acquaintance stage and lingered within the friend stage for a couple of days before actually dating.

They’d jumped into it quickly, but neither of them seem to regret it yet.

Franklin had wanted to keep things quiet, for the sake of both of them, but Tracey had managed to tell the entire world within a few hours.

About a week after they’d made things official, Michael showed up at Franklin’s doorstep in Vinewood Hills, disgruntled and irate.

_“You mind tellin’ me what the fuck you’re doing with my daughter?” Michael’s visibly trying to desperately keep his cool when Franklin opens the door._

_“What d’you mean?” Franklin makes an attempt at not knowing what Michael’s talking about, but to no avail. Knowing Tracey, she’s probably already told him everything._

_“You know damn well what I mean,” Michael growls._

_“Look, chill, alright,” Franklin puts his hands up in retreat, just incase Michael has half a mind to pull out whatever firearm he has on him and start shooting. “we’re just dating-”_

_“Just dating?” Michael advances at this, and Franklin makes sure to take a step back for every step Michael takes forward. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”_

_“I dunno, it don’t mean nothing, homie,” Franklin says, hands still held out in front of him. He’s seen what Michael’s rage can do, and he certainly doesn’t feel like being taken out by some retired old dude who’s favorite past time is daytime drinking. “I like Tracey, alright, I respect her, and I promise that nothing happened. Nothing.”_

_Franklin isn’t even sure what Michael could think would happen between him and Tracey over the span of a few days._

_“Yeah, and it better fucking stay that way,” Michael seems to believe him, which is a relief to Franklin entirely. “because if I find out anything has, I’m coming back, and you don’t want me to come back.”_

_Yeah, that’s for sure._

Michael eventually warmed up to the idea of his daughter dating a two-bit gangster. It was better than any of the previous relationships she’d been in, and while Franklin was no doctor or whatever, he respected Tracey.

He cares for her just as much as Michael and Amanda and even Trevor does, and Michael finally got around to seeing that.

\- - - - -

Lamar is able to find anything and everything to tease Franklin about, and it’s a talent that Franklin finds just as admirable as he does annoying. Franklin’s not surprised when Lamar jumps on his relationship with Tracey almost immediately.

He doesn’t say anything around Tracey - at all. The two of them seem to frequent Franklin’s house quite often, but Lamar doesn’t fade back into his usual self until Tracey is gone. He just kind of lingers in the background, letting Tracey and Franklin have their space.

Franklin just sees it as Lamar not being accustomed to having Tracey around, and he’ll warm up to her eventually.

_Tracey kisses Franklin’s cheek before she leaves, and she lets her hand linger a bit too long in Franklin’s, and Lamar notices every bit of it._

_“Aww,” Lamar says as soon as the door closes behind Tracey. “ain’t that cute?”_

_“Shut up,” Franklin says, the hint of a smile he’d worn around Tracey still not completely vanished._

_“Y’all actin’ like a couple of fifth graders, man,” Lamar says, following Franklin back into the living room. “holding hands and shit.”_

_“Shut up,” Franklin says again, but there’s still no hostility to his voice._

_“When’s the next play date?” Lamar continues. “I gotta quit comin’ around you two, making me nauseated with all this puppy-love bullshit.”_

_Franklin knows that Lamar doesn’t actually mean that, and will most likely be showing up at Franklin’s doorstep for the rest of eternity if he’s able to. Tracey or no Tracey. And Franklin wouldn’t have it any other way._

\- - - - -

When Tracey went to college, Franklin expected their relationship to be strained. She was making a life for herself, she was meeting new people, and that nagging possibility that she wouldn’t want Franklin in this new life wouldn’t go away.

Tracey managed to surprise him. If anything, it brought them closer together.

_“College is too hard,” Tracey groans, slamming her scissors down on the table with a little more force than necessary. “I can’t do this.”_

_Tracey had decided to major in cosmetology, and Franklin didn’t know the first thing about it, but he’d try helping whenever he could._

_Somehow, Franklin had become something of a study buddy for Tracey, along with being her boyfriend and personal motivator._

_He’d let her cut his hair when it got a bit too long. He’d also let her practice manicures on him, although they promised to never speak a word of it to anybody. She was getting better every day, and Franklin was nothing short of proud._

_At least she’d found a talent that wouldn’t get her dry-humped on national television._

_“Yeah, you can, Trace,” Franklin’s sitting on the edge of Tracey’s bed while she fusses with the wig on her mannequin head. “it looks great, I don’t see what the problem is.”_

_“I can’t get the bangs right,” Tracey sighs. “they look like shit.”_

_“You’ll get it right,” Franklin moves off the bed and behind Tracey, wrapping his arms around her with practiced ease, and Tracey relaxes into the embrace._

_“You think so?” Tracey sounds a bit more dazed now, as if Franklin is her own personal tranquility._

_“Yeah,” Franklin says. “I know you will.”_

_Tracey sighs again at this, but this time Franklin can practically hear her smiling. “I don't know what I'd do without you, honestly.”_

_And it's funny that Tracey says that, because, Franklin doesn't know what he'd do without Tracey._

_Probably still working some two-bit jobs with Lamar, he probably would've been promoted to professional gangbanger by now. Franklin doesn't let his mind linger in that world, and lets himself focus on this one instead._


End file.
